Barcelona target Chelsea star

11th July 2018, 13:55 by Gareth Freeman

Barcelona have targeted Chelsea forward Eden Hazard after missing out on Antoine Griezmann.

The Catalan giants were hoping to convince Griezmann to swap Atletico Madrid for Barcelona but the France forward announced before the World Cup that he would not be on the move during the current transfer window.

Catalan-based newspaper Diario Sport have now claimed Barca have now identified Hazard as their new top target as they seek a replacement for Andres Iniesta.

Chelsea will be desperate to keep hold of the 27-year-old, who is under contract until 2020, but may struggle to resist a big offer from La Liga if Hazard makes it clear he wants to move on after missing out on Champions League football.

Real Madrid have also been linked and are likely to step up their interest following Cristiano Ronaldo's sensational switch to Juventus.

Hazard's Belgium were eliminated from the World Cup on Tuesday and the two La Liga heavyweights are now expected to make their moves for Hazard in the coming days.

This article originated on sportinastorm.com

Gareth Freeman is an experienced journalist who can offer in-depth knowledge on a host of sports, especially football, tennis, snooker and basketball.

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